A decade back, I decided to get into writing for software companies but I had almost no experience at it (besides a little work for some college friends’ startup many years before).  I knew that writing marketing copy for software firms can be lucrative, paying $1 to $2 per word or more, and $100 per hour and up for marketing/PR consulting…if you’re good.

Knowing that print journalism was disappearing and online journalism had significantly lower per-word pay rates, I wanted to get into tech writing to make a better buck. Since I made that goal in 2004, I’ve written for many engineering companies, software as a service companies, and tech firms, including construction tech companies, 3D modeling companies, and others.

So, how’d I do it? Just as I’ve done with my freelance writing for years, I did my research on firms, and put out queries to lots of companies, while searching for even more to query. I did it on purpose, and by accident, getting my break into the field in an unlikely way.

I was in the midst of a rather worried, late night work search when I ran across an article on Newscred, a NYC marketing firm that was offering a loss-leader to clients by having experienced journalists write brand journalism for them. I jumped on that, and ended up writing pieces for Rolls-Royce, Xerox, Facebook, and others through Newscred for $1/word. It was a goal I’d established as a baseline per word rate for technical (marketing) writing.

I now charge $1.50/word and up for corporate writing of any kind. My per-word for branding writing has been around $45 per word (a lot fewer words are needed).

My technical writing experience developed similarly to how my journalism experience did—one gig led to another. I leveraged some experience I had—like in architecture, engineering and construction—to propel myself into new areas of subject matter. My technical writing through Newscred helped me to get gigs writing for construction software startups like Fieldwire, and for larger companies like Procore and ARC Document Solutions.

These corporate writing experiences led to more chances at expertise, which I gained by writing for companies providing 3D modeling software, drones, computer aided drafting, and other tech firms, as well as through work for some engineering firms. All along the way, I was recognizing and seizing opportunities to write for trade magazines catering to these areas of technical focus (like GeoWeek, xyHt magazine, Cadalyst and others). It’s a way to learn about the niche, make contacts, and get exposure as a technical writer.

Having contacts you’ve worked with at construction trade magazines, or drone or 3D mapping publications or another tech area, is a good way to sell your services better. A writer who can write well on technical matters, and offer earned media placement of stories in tech publications, has an added advantage over others who can’t offer successful story placement. Story placement fees, per story, range from about $250 to far higher.

A good opportunity can change your game. But, you need to find such opportunities and, as you do, more of them will find you.

Many years ago, I was tapped to write a 75-year corporate history of a prominent engineering firm because I had been writing for Engineering News-Record (ENR) for many years. People in architecture engineering and construction knew my byline. It was a breakneck pace project for $15,000, my biggest project to date at that point. I still write for ENR magazine and I’m still learning,

Allow yourself to patiently build your career, like a sturdy wall you want to last forever. Build one skill upon another, and see where it takes you. But, have a plan, be hungry, and stick to the plan.

Writing from Pittsburgh, I’ve proven you don’t have to be in California to write for tech firms, which are located everywhere these days. You just need to have solid skills, a strong work ethic, a plan, and patience.

And, once you get going with tech writing, you might be surprised at how much fun you have.

RELATED

• 7 High-Paying Science and Tech Markets for Freelance Writers By William Opar
• From Full-time Teacher to Full-time Freelance Tech-industry Writer! How I Did It by William Barton
• Technically Speaking: How To Break Into Technology Writing by S.E. Batt
• Curious About Becoming a Technical Writer? – James Rada, Jr.
• Don’t Be Afraid of Trade & Technical Markets By Cheryl Pickett

Jonathan Barnes has been a reporter for 30 years and a corporate writer for many years. He never even took Calculus in high school, barely got through his computer classes at Carnegie-Mellon University, and never mastered typing from the home keys. And he loves writing about and learning about technology.

QUERY LETTERS THAT WORKED! Real Queries That Landed $2K+ Writing Assignments

Peek over the shoulders of highly successful freelance writers to see how they earn thousands per article! The query letter is the key!
In these pages, you'll find real query letters that landed real assignments for national magazines, websites, and corporations.

Also includes:

• Abbi Perrets' form letter that brings in $30,000-$45,000 annually
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